All Hands On Deck
by CanadianChick07
Summary: Mandy calls in an unlikely person to help her with intel after the bombings because it's all hands on deck to get revenge. Post 2x17.


Mandy stared at the news article and piece of journalism in front of her. She didn't have to read the author's name to know who wrote it. She knew his writing. Oh she knew his writing This was some of his best work. Probably Pulitzer Prize winning in fact. On church, state and terrorism in the Philippines and the rise of all of the above. Which is why she was reading it at this moment. Something would give her a clue; or so she hoped.

She studied the article, drummed her fingers against the desk and sighed. Part of her just wanted to call him and ask for the help. But the other part of her didn't want to be seen as weak in wanting a journalist's help in finding the bombing suspect. She wanted his help because while the CIA had resources in the Philippines, he had made a lot of powerful connections in his research on that article. It would come in very handy. She needed all hands on deck and all the help she could get.

Two clicks later, because she was the CIA and while the CIA didn't spy on their own citizens, she had his private number. The number that he didn't even give to her. She tried not to feel bad about that but brushed it aside. She did do the calculations on time zone and figured it was around noon in Washington. Hopefully he had enough coffee to put him a good mood to lend a helping hand to the CIA.

"How'd you get this number?"

"Give me some credit, Paul," Mandy shot back to the opening response.

He sighed. "My family has this number, no one else. My editor doesn't even have this number."

She laughed a little. "I promise I won't give it to her."

"Mandy Ellis, you didn't find a way to get my very private number just for a chat to catch up so, what's the deal?"

"I can't call just to catch up with an old friend?"

Paul laughed. "I don't think I'm in the friend category and I have cows to feed so, if you can get to the point, I'd appreciate it."

"Cows?"

"Yeah. I'm in the middle of nowhere, Idaho, currently. Did you know Idaho has a desert?"

Mandy sighed. "Paul, what are you doing in the Idaho desert?"

"Needed some time away to clear my head. My mom's family ranches out here. It's calving season."

"You don't ranch. Or rope or whatever it is people do at brandings or help calve, if that's what you people call it."

"That's not entirely true. I can actually rope, for your information. Why'd you call me Mandy?"

She sighed again. "You haven't watched the news lately while you've been playing cowboy, have you?"

"Nope."

"Bombing attacks in Manila."

Paul sighed. "You're on a Gucci deployment there, aren't you?"

"Bravo Six was hit bad; he should be in the States now. Not looking great. Trauma to both legs; he lost a lot of blood."

"Fuck. I'm guessing this is about what I wrote two months ago?"

Mandy stayed silent for a minute or two. "How fast can you get here?"

"Fuck, Mandy. Is this an ask or an order?"

"Well….To put this this way; I need the A team. You're on it. I need all hands on deck on this. No one targets my team and gets away with it."

"Yeah, I get it," Paul replied. He knew it was an ask at this point but he felt a duty to his country to help her out and he knew he could. He had contacts that the CIA couldn't use within the Philippines and within their Army. Contacts that would talk to a journalist; not the CIA, not even how unsuspicious Mandy Ellis may look if she wanted to. He saw the war Bravo raged to get revenge for Echo team. He knew what ends of the earth they would go to get retaliation for bombings in Manila and hurting one of their own. "Look, I'm in Glenns Ferry, Idaho. I'm a long ways from an airport that doesn't have a bazillion stops to get to Manila."

Mandy thought for a minute. "Mountain AFB is close to there, isn't it?"

"They only have F-15's, I think. No go."

She quickly pulled up a map of all airports within the continental US. "Can you get to Hill this morning? It's a three and a half hour drive; just north of Salt Lake City. I can get you on something that can take you to Lewis-McChord and I'll have something waiting at Lewis-McChord."

"You think you can get something out of Hill this fast?"

Mandy laughed. "You don't know me well enough, Paul. See you in 20 hours or so."

* * *

He had arrived in Manila by nightfall. Blackburn met him at the tarmac of some shitty ass airfield and all Paul could do was look around and be surprised. Less than a day ago he was feeding his aunt's cows in the Idaho desert and now he was being somewhat forced to work for the CIA and US Navy in Manila, Philippines. Strange turn of events but he surmised that came with the job; a job he wanted to give up. The only upside to this it would lead for a hell of a story- one he wouldn't be able to write about but a hell of a story to spin.

Blackburn took his bags and told him where he was staying, a couple doors down from Bravo in the hotel. For protection, Blackburn said. Higher ups in the this particular country's government weren't too happy with the expose and would be less happy if they learned he just landed on a US Air Force C-130. And then the commanding officer of Bravo pointed to the local bar that hadn't been blown up and told him he could find Jason. Ray, he would stay away from; although he had come to terms with what happened in Afghanistan with the boy and knew Ray was just doing his job. He knew there was more to the story than that but out of respect for special operators and the uniform and the agreement he made with Mandy, he left it at that. He, however, didn't know Ray's position on him working with the team and Mandy.

"Well, well, well," Jason said, as he watched Paul come into the bar. "Color me surprised." Jason pointed at the bartender to bring Paul a beer.

Paul raised his eyebrows as the bartender brought over the drink for him. "Me too."

"How the hell did you get here?"

Paul sipped his beer. "Mandy can be very convincing with Air Force Generals."

"The Air Force flew you here?"

The reporter shrugged. "Hill was more than happy to accommodate the request, even on whatever notice she gave them because that meant for flying practice for them. Lewis-McChord was not so happy."

Jason laughed. "Something tells me that Mandy has something up her sleeve with regards to why you are here?"

He shrugged. "Beats the living daylights out of me."

"You're not gonna write about us, are you?" Jason asked sceptically.

Paul laughed quite a bit. "Absolutely not. I have no interest in writing anything right now. Plus Blackburn made me sign a NDA. On that subject, why did your CO meet me at the airfield? Where's the little Mighty Mouse that should be?"

Jason looked at Paul, impressed he remembered Davis. "Mighty Mouse? Oh you mean Davis? Got picked up for OCS."

Paul nodded. "Good for her. She'd do well there."

"You were the one to write the article on expose on the corruption within the Philippines two months ago, weren't you? That's why you're here. Mandy thinks you know something or someone who can help us."

"Bingo."

Jason held up his beer. "Glad to have you on our side."

* * *

Mandy was in the secure conference room very early the next morning. She still hadn't gotten the missing piece to get the boys a target to get revenge for Clay and it was not making her happy. She was good at her job; she should be able to do this. She was missing something. There was a missing puzzle piece and it was driving her absolutely up the wall. It was driving Bravo nuts too; they wanted something to shoot at. And fast. They wanted revenge. And she did want to give them a target; she just wanted to make sure that the target was the right one.

The door opened and Paul walked in, with his hands full. He put breakfast and another coffee in front of her. "Cinnamon oatmeal and fresh fruit. Its not the instant peaches and cream oatmeal that you loved from the J-bad chow hall but it should do."

She smiled up at him, as he stood standing. "You know me well."

He decided to risk limb and life and pressed a kiss to her hair, remembering the last time he saw her. That was a hell of a night. Surprisingly she didn't say anything, she just looked at him. Not a scathing look either. More like she was also thinking of that night. "What's on the agenda today?"

"Cowboy looks good on you."

He laughed as he sipped his coffee. "More like rancher but sure."

"I didn't know Idaho had a desert."

"Good people out there."

Mandy clicked around on her laptop. A man's picture with his name came on. "This is who we think is behind the bombings but we don't have anything on him or know why he might be doing it."

Paul narrowed his eyes. "You have anything on his extended family?" He opened his laptop to find a document that had a name he was looking for. The kid looked really familiar but he couldn't quite place him- not until he had the names of the suspects relatives.

Mandy pulled it up. "The Filipino intel people are running his family down but here's what we have so far." She turned her laptop around to show a family picture of the suspect, along with some names.

Paul's eyes widened as he looked from his laptop to Mandy's. "I've met this kid before."

* * *

**Duh, duh, duh...**


End file.
